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J Dilla Changed My Life

Today is J Dilla's birthday. To those that don't know, he was one of the most innovative and creative hip hop producers of all time. Though Dilla passed away in 2006, just three days after his 32nd birthday, he will be forever remembered in the hip hop community and I know I'll never stop playing his music.

Have you ever got the chance to meet your hero? How often can that happen? To meet someone you have admired for a large portion of your life only happens to a few of us. It happened to me on a cool May evening in 2004.

The funny thing about Logan Square Auditorium, in Chicago, is that there was no backstage-at least in 2004. That meant that all of the performing artists had to walk through the crowd to get to the stage and a small cubby hole-like area next to the stage where they could hang out without being seen by the entire audience. I was standing in that area while my brother-in-law, Andrew, and I awaited our favorite artist to arrive.

As we waited I noticed, out of the corner of my eye, a convergence of people coming towards me. By the look of awe on Andrew's face, it was clear to me that J Dilla and Madlib had arrived.

We watched J Dilla and Madlib put down their bags of records and other equipment and then they immediately started walking towards us. Imagine, if you will, your absolute favorite artist, alive or dead, walking towards you, making eye contact, then extending his/her hand to you. That's exactly what J Dilla did. And that was one of the greatest moments of my life. I met someone who had truly changed my life.

Andrew, J Dilla, and me (not exactly knowing how to pose)

People ask me all the time why I'm such a huge J Dilla fan. It's hard to explain in words. The best I can say is that I heard a change in sound from groups like A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul and The Pharcyde in the late 90's. The samples were more obscure, refined and chopped up like I'd never heard prior. The drums weren't always perfectly lined up or "quantized". The music itself seemed more soulful than ever. I did some research and finally came up with the name Jay Dee/J Dilla. At the time he was working under the production group The Ummah which consisted of himself, Q-Tip and Ali Shaheed Muhammed.

In 2000 I was given, what I consider one of the best hip hop albums of all time, Slum Village's Fantastic V.2. I was immediately enamored by it. It was pure Detroit music; soulful yet harsh to illustrate all that is Detroit. The emcees' Baatin, T3 and J Dilla didn't really rap about much along the lines hard living and the gangster lifestyle. They instead chose to have more fun with rhymes about cars, women, and the highlife. To me it was the birth of a new type of music.

Dilla would later join up with a collective of artists called the Soulquarians. It consisted of ?uestlove, D'angelo, Common and Erykah Badu just to name a few. In the time of that collaboration, which was around 1999-2002, some of my favorite albums were released. D'angelo's Vodoo, Erykah Badu's Mama's Gun and Common's Like Water for Chocolate. All were classics and all involved Dilla. Many say he was one of the architects of the Neo-Soul sound.

Dilla has worked with just about all of my favorite artists. Even Busta Rhymes has used his beats consistently since his first album. His track is where I go first whenever he releases something new. Where's that Dilla track at son?

I have to say my favorite Dilla material has to be his solo album, Welcome to Detroit. That album really showed me his skills as an emcee. The beats were a given but Dilla really showed his gritty side as far as emceeing. It gave me a whole new appreciation for his material. His lyrical talents could also be heard readily on Jaylib's (J Dilla & Madlib collaboration) Champion Sound and the classic Ruff Draft.

I could certainly go on for days about Dilla but I won't bore you. I can say that we lost one of the greats in the music industry. I equate losing Dilla with a Beatles fan losing John Lennon. It was that serious to me and to many other beat junkies around the world. I'll simply leave you with some of his music performed after his death which I still get teary eyed watching or listening to.

Dilla's mother, Ma' Dukes, started the "J Dilla Foundation" to help cure Lupus, which is what took J Dilla's life so early. For more information go here.

Winner of Vocalo Radio’s 2013 “Quest For The Best DJ” battle, DJ Bizzon’s creative turntablism skills, original production and hands-on style has made him one of the Midwest’s most sought-after DJs. He has opened for or performed with artists including Kendrick Lamar, Baauer, Mac Miller, Questlove, Naughty By Nature, People Under The Stairs and DJ Abilities. Read more

Meet Jank

Damon “Jank” Joy doesn’t believe in bios. He doesn’t believe in much in this world but his own infallible opinion, an opinion he hopes will lead you toward the light — the light being hip hop. Jank is a retired deejay and co-host of the popular WMSE radio show, “Those Hip-Hop Guys,” along with the lanky fellow in the photo above his. Read more

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